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STATEMENT BY

 

MS. NORDIANA ZIN ZAWAWI, COUNSELLOR

PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS

 

ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)

 

 AT THE THEMATIC DEBATE OF THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP

ON THE REVITALISATION OF THE WORK OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

 

 

 

Distinguished Co-Chairs,

 

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

 

2.       ASEAN would like to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Egriselda Gonzalez Lopez of El Savador and Ambassador Mitch Fifield of Australia for their stewardship as Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group (AHWG) on the revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly. We appreciate the commitment of the Co-Chairs and wish to reassure ASEAN’s full support and cooperation to this end.

 

3.       ASEAN recognizes the need to protect the primacy and credibility of the General Assembly, as the United Nation’s main policy-making organ. The revitalisation of the General Assembly, being the foundational bedrock of multilateralism, will further ensure that it is fit for the challenges of today and tomorrow. ASEAN firmly believes that in order to do so, it is imperative to further strengthen the accountability, transparency and institutional memory of the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA).

 

Distinguished Co-chairs,

 

4.       ASEAN commends the convening of the informal dialogue with former Presidents of the GA on the Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly held on 22 February. Such engagement not only benefitted Member States, but also potential Presidents-elect in terms of sharing of experiences and lessons learned. In the same connection, ASEAN looks forward to the third transition workshop for the OPGA in September this year – aimed at strengthening the institutional memory, preserving best practices, and supporting the smooth transition between presidencies.

 

5.       ASEAN also appreciates the update on the implementation of the eighteen recommendations by the Task Force since its establishment in 2015. Having reviewed the status and progress, ASEAN is pleased to note the substantial achievements made over the years. However, we believe that the OPGA could be made more effective and efficient by having adequate human and financial resources through the regular budget. OPGA should not continue to be mainly dependent on voluntary contribution and secondment of officers from Member States and the sending country of the President, which may discourage countries which lack resources to fund the OPGA from seeking the Presidency, and may negatively affect the transparency and accountability of the Office.

 

6.       To conclude, ASEAN looks forward to receiving the zero draft resolution on this agenda tentatively scheduled by next month. We hope that all Member States will approach the matter with openness and the necessary political will in order to reach consensus.

 

Thank you.